Original Thoughts of a Copy Ninja
by cakeiton
Summary: Unconnected and random drabbles/chapters focusing on our favorite emotionally stinted ninja.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything or make any money off of anything Naruto.

…

The hot spring sun beat down on the three genin, once again waiting for their notoriously late sensei. Sasuke twirled a kunai in his hand, randomly changing its direction, in an idle way that seemed cool and bored at the same time. Irritated, Sakura had given up on ogling for the moment to berate the energetic blonde that seemed happy chasing a grasshopper around.

Naruto made the final pounce, successfully catching his little green target, when a puff of smoke directly in front of him threw his balance off. With a soft thud he hit the ground, then looked up to the masked nin with one deceptively cheery eye showing.

"Yo!" he called out, giving the group a small wave.

Naruto quickly got up and dusted off his backside. "Eh, you're late again, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Oh?" Their jounin teacher had the audacity to look surprised. "Am I?"

The dark headed boy scoffed, looking once again out to the road away from Konoha as Sakura crossed her arms rather expressively. "Honestly, sensei," she scolded maternally. "Why give us a meeting time you can _actually_ stick to?"

Without reason, Kakashi did not give his usual excuses of_ "An old lady needed my help"_ or_ "I got lost by the marketplace"_. Instead, he fought the urge to touch the eye under the hitai-ate and answered, "Must be a bad habit I picked up in the last war."

The exuberant boy in orange turned away, starting ahead of the group while yelling back, "Most people have glorious war stories, you just have bad habits!"

The other two followed, but Kakashi smile did not fade. In fact, as the bells quietly chimed within his pocket with his even steps, it reminded him that he carried more of his best friend Obito then just the gifted eye, even if it was bad habits.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own anything or make any money off of anything Naruto.

...

The mid-afternoon training wrecked Team 7's subordinates down to the nerves, reaching the point where even Sasuke graduated from 'passive aggressive scowl' to 'growling through gritted teeth'. His agitation grew with the understanding of his limitations and whether he knew it or not, it was the first step to learning composure while failing. If Sasuke let his anger control him then there was no getting past revenge, even if it was fulfilled. He hoped the sullen boy would learn this before going down the wrong path.

The pink-haired female's behavior had altered over the hours as well. As their sensei continually attacked, capturing them in one of his varied jutsu after another, her focus was changing. Before she would yell after the Uchihia, running in a dainty manner and harboring foolish dreams of saving him. Now they were transforming into grunts and cries of battle. With each passing attack her voice lowered as he subconsciously instilled in her that they best way to protect those you care for is to not forget about yourself. When they first formed the team her devotion to the boy was displayed in high octaves and useless gestures. If she truly cared Sakura would need to protect them with her strength, not cry after them.

Naruto, however, never altered his method of head-on attacks. His voice never diminished and attacks never varied, even when he went crashing through the practice field. Watching the boy stand back up yet again, Kakashi sighed, but did not feel the training useless for him either. Jutsu could come later, as well as learning to keep one's mouth shut. The blond boy will change in his style eventually, but that was not important now.

He knew this boy would be hunted, if not for the seal on his body then for the identity almost no one knew about, even though the hair should give it away. For Naruto to become strong he needed to do exactly what he was doing now; falling down and getting back up countless times. In time, his stamina will prove to be more beneficial than his chakra.

However, after each attack the kyuubi boy made sure that his team was alright and ensured them that victory was easily theirs. Kakashi smiled, keeping it hidden under his mask, as he regarded Naruto's never-ending loyalty to his friends.

Hopefully, some things will never change.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own anything Naruto.

…

Tensions were high in the towering office and the clicking of Tsunade's nails did nothing to ease Team Kakashi. The mission was a success, barely. Once again, Naruto's interference was the reason for the complications and for their hard success. He was always quick to fight and get emotionally entangled in the lives of everyone they met, including their enemies.

Sakura sighed, waiting for the hokage's reprimand while fighting to urge to hang her head. Her blonde friend had to ability to relate to almost anyone, with a heart was big enough to love them all, but it was always at the most inconvenient moments that his long speeches about pain and hope interrupted their careful plans.

Unfazed by Naruto's sulking and their team medic's exasperation, Kakashi stood straight, staring at the hokage with one, lazy eye, and replayed his favorite scene from the first Ichi-Ichi book in his head.

"Um… " Naruto started… and the whole room went still, "Granny Tsuna…"

"NARUTO!"

He choked on the next words as the infuriated woman slammed a fist on the desk… through the desk… cracked the floor…

"You are a ninja! You work for Konoha, _**not**_ for your own ideals!"

It was Kakashi's turn to sigh. He knew this conversation was coming, however he still did not like where it was going.

Tsunade continued as she approached a nervous Naruto. "Your job is to track who we tell you to, gather the information we need, use your abilities to complete missions, and…" She paused, uncomfortable with what she had to ask of him, "And kill those you are ordered to."

He wanted to fight back, but the dejection overwhelmed him and Naruto gritted his teeth. The meeting was over.

As Sakura stayed back to assist her master, Kakashi walked with Naruto down Konoha's streets without aim. His masked face stayed in his book and thankfully Naruto did not question his company. It wasn't until almost an hour when the silence was broken.

"Oi, Kaka-sensei… you were a pretty good ninja at my age, right?"

With a light clap from the book closing, the copy ninja responded, "I believe I am _still_ a good ninja."

Naruto smiled, slightly. "But, you always have been, even as a small kid. You have always been strong."

There no response, and frankly Kakashi didn't know how to. Naruto did not continue his thought. Instead, the adolescent boy just nodded and disappeared in a blur.

The night darkened quickly, but it was welcomed for the citizens of the Leaf. Even with the light fading the sun's heat remained; a remnant of the hot summer they just endured. Kakashi sat in Naruto's window frame, looking down at the snoring teenager, with a small pile of acorns sitting in his hands as he waited for his presence to be detected.

His eyes rolled when, after five minutes, it still wasn't.

One after another, the acorns bounced off different limbs before finally knocking off the young man's forehead. Naruto got up with a start, flailing his arms and groggily screaming, "I swear, Sakura-chan, I wasn't peeking!" When he finally looked around, awake and reminding himself where he was, the blue eyes looked towards the window to the intruder occupying the space.

"Ka-Kaka-sensei?"

"Oi. I need you to listen, and never tell the hokage what I told you tonight."

Dumbly, Naruto nodded, suddenly very alert as his teacher and team captain looked him directly in the eye.

"I have always been strong, Naruto. I made chuunin at 6 and jounin younger than almost anyone else in Konoha's history. Though it is a borrowed power, I have copied a thousand jutsu and obtained the Mangekyō Sharingan."

At these words Naruto hung his head.

"However, I only have enough power to do what is necessary."

When he brought his gaze back to Kakashi, there was the respect only held for those who recognized him. The man continued, "You have a power not many will ever know. I am strong enough to do what is necessary and do it efficiently. But you, Naruto, have the power to do what's right." Kakashi sought out the direction of the stone he made morning visits too. "You have long since surpassed me, and are strong enough to hold onto your morals. Concentrate on that strength, and leave the rest to me."

In a flash, Kakashi was gone, and Naruto's smile was back.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own anything Naruto.

…

Kakashi was an honest man, but he was never a straightforward one.

"Oi, Kaka-sensei, why do you always wear that mask?"

He was staring off into the distance when Naruto's question brought him crashing back. _'I look like my father,'_ was his first thought. _'The village looks at me like a ghost.'_ Instead, he shrugged and replied, "I got used to it while in ANBU."

Sakura, fidgeting with her jounin vest, interjected. "But I thought you wore it as a child, too?"

"Did I?" the elder ninja feigned. "Acne, then."

Both teenagers scoffed. "You're such a bad liar, sensei."

.

Several weeks later he was lazing in a tree with a tattered Ichi Ichi novel when Kiba's rough bark interrupted him. "Damn, Kakashi-sensei, why do you read these books, and in public?"

_'I was alone through puberty. Jiraya's sense of humor related to mine and it was the first man I could relate to, not just respect, after my father died,' _his mind supplied_._ But, he kept his thoughts to himself and responded, "It is classier than the magazines."

A smile bloomed beneath his mask when Kiba blushed at the implications. "I hear you are as bad as Jiriya was."

"One can only hope." Then he turned the page.

.

"Why do you always cover up your sharingan?"

That was a question he received a lot. _'It was never meant to be mine. It does not turn off and wastes chakra. Obito should have lived. He would have controlled it, improved it… used it to protect.' _

Stretching the truth, he would give a pointed glare and threaten, "Because then I would just see everyone with their clothes off."

That usually shut them up, but for some odd reason the Third had laughed until he was in tears.

.

With a puff of smoke Kakashi was perched on a random fencepost, waving down at the team he was supposed to be in charge of.

The irate blonde brow was wrinkled. "Damn, Kaka-sensei, why are you always so late?"

Kakashi looked into the power of Naruto's eyes then the potential in Sakura's, and before he could stop himself he thought, _'I'm not in a hurry to have you die in my care, as well.'_

They were waiting for an answer, so he sighed and gave them one he could live with. "Maybe you are just early."


	5. Chapter 5

I don't anything Naruto.

…

Pein's destruction of Konoha might have crippled the town, but Naruto's steadfast heart that had called out to the Akatsuki member now impassioned the Will of Fire of every citizen. So many people had been lost that the debris left behind seemed insignificant once they were returned. The Hidden Leaf was fractured, but whole, and not one person failed to recognize who was responsible.

Kakashi thought it was worth buying the boy dinner, at least.

"You're quite the hero," he said once another small group of admirers had left after fawning over Naruto.

The blonde ninja was blushing and tried to hide his face with a large helping of ramen. "People keep coming up to me. It's weird."

Sakura paused in poking her least favorite meal and perked up. "Why would it be weird? You saved the entire village!"

"I know their faces," Naruto shrugged, speaking more into his food. "They are the same ones that cursed me when I was a kid."

Sakura looked down guiltily, but Kakashi only grinned. "Well, they acknowledge you now and, if I'm not mistaken, most have been for a while. It is only right they should be thankful."

The shinobi of the hour looked up into space before addressing his teacher. "That's not why-"

"I know," the Copy Ninja interrupted. "All the more reason. In fact, I should be thanking you personally." Being dead had been a bit off-putting, but having the opportunity to live with respect towards his father was one of the best gifts he could have ever received.

"Ah, Kaka-sensei," Naruto finally beamed, "Ramen is good enough!"

With his enthusiasm back, he failed to notice the way Sakura had paled. Her chopsticks had fallen with gentle clinks against the worn wood of the counter and, wide-eyed, she turned to look across Naruto towards Kakashi. With his one good eye he looked back towards her for a glance and saw the delayed tear that threatened to fall. Realization struck. She didn't know he had died.

Oblivious to their interaction, Naruto swallowed another large bite with a loud slurp and cheerfully teased, "Sorry to take all the action away from you, Kaka-sensei!"

His face crinkled with his smile and he turned his gaze away from the kunoichi. "I don't think you have quite surpassed me, yet."

Sakura finally started to breathe again when his long arm reached behind Naruto to rest atop of her head and ruffle her pink hair.

They never spoke of it again.

…


End file.
